Beam adjuster



Sept. 27, 1927.

J. P. RATIGAN BEAM ADJUS TER Filed Dec. 15, 1926 v Snow Roz James R Razzgan anal waif Patented Sept. 27, 1927-.

UNITED STATES JAMES P. RATIGAN, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

BEAM ADJUSTER.

Application filed December 15, 1926. Serial No. 154,986,

This invention relates to, so. called, beam adjusters. These are mechanisms connecting the walking beams or other operating members with the clamps that hold the polish rods of deep well pumps.

9 In pumping a well, when the 'pump plunger reaches the end of its down stroke, an excessive amount of power is required in picking up the load represented by the weight of the liquid column and the weight of the sucker rods. 'An object of this invention is to reduce the power required to pick up the load when the plunger starts on its u stroke.

Furthermore, in the pumping o a deep well, the sudden shock upon the sucker rods when the pump plunger is started on its up stroke tends to crystallize the sucker rods and another object of this invention is to insure to a great degree against crystallizing the rods.

It will further appear from the foregoing that not only is the shock reduced on the pump but the pump operating mechanism itself is freed from a great deal of shock that would occur if the invention were not present.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the sub-joined detailed description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal view of a beam adjuster constructed in accordance wlth the provisions of this invention, the reins being broken to contract the view and an operating member and polish rod clamp together with a fragment of the polish rod being indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the middle portion of the beam adjuster shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an edge view of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, there is provided a stem 4 of any suitable construction, provided with laterally extending members 5 adapted to rest on the operating member indicated at 6. The operating member 6 may be a walking beam or may be of any other suitable type.

The lower end of the stem 4 is bifurcated or forked, the furcations 7 being on opposite sides of an eye 8 which forms the upper portion of a yoke, indicated in general by the character 9. Positioned below the yoke 9 is a second yoke '10. Flexible connections are employed for connecting the yokes 9, 10. These flexible connections may be of any suitable construction and, in the present instance, each comprises a plurality of pivotally connected links, an upper link 11, a lower link 12 and an'intermediate link 13 joining the links 11 and 12.

The links 11 are connected by pivots 14 to the yoke 9 and the links 12 are comiected by pivots 15 to the yoke 10. The links 11, 12 are connected by pivots 16 to the intermediate links 13. Means is provided between the links 13 to yieldingly resist movement of said links toward each other and, in this instance, said means comprises one or more coil springs. Two springs are shown in the drawings, one indicated at 17 and one at 18. The spring 18 is of smaller diameter than the spring 17 so as to extend through the spring 17 and. preferably, the springs 17, 18 are oppositely wound so that the coils of one do not interfere with compression of the other spring.

The opposite ends of the spring 17 seat against the inner faces of the links 13 and the opposite ends of the spring 18 seat in recesses 19 formed in the linksy13. When the springs 17, 18 are expanded, the spring 18 is the longer and the springs will be placed in position under suificient compression to hold the links 11 substantially at right angles to the links 13.

Passing through the spring 18 is a bolt 20 which also passes through holes 21 in the links 13, the head 22 and nut 23 of the bolt being on the outer faces of the links 13.

The yoke 10 may be connected by any suitable means to a polish rod clamp 24 used in supporting the polish rod 25. Preferably the yoke 10 is connected by pivot 26 to member 27 which is thus pivotally supported in the yoke 10. The end portions 28 of the member 27 are circular in cross section and mounted thereon are rein connectors 29 which are held against slipping off of the end portions 28 by cotter pins 30 which pass through the end portions 28. Secured to the connectors 29 are reins 31 which, in this instance, are in the form of rods which are screwed into threaded sockets 32 in the connectors 29. The lower ends of the reins 31 are screwed into threaded sockets 33 of rein connectors 34. The rein connectors 34 are provided with eyes 35 into which the lateral projections 36 of the polish rod clamp 24 extend, thus supporting said clamp.

The invention operates as follows:

Assuming, for example, that the operating member 6 is on its down stroke, the springs 17 18 will be expanded thus minimizing the distance between the yokes 9, 10. This of course shortens the beam adjuster. Assuming now that the operating member has reached the end of its down stroke and starts on its up stroke, the springs 17, 18 will first be compressed while the stem 4 starts on its up stroke. As soon as the resistance of the springs 17 18 equals the load imposed upon said springs, the reins 31 will be drawn upwardly, thus actuating the polish rod and the pump parts suspended from said polish rod. Thus there will be no sudden shock when reversal of motion of the operating member takes place at the bottom of stroke of said operating member. Furthermore, there will be no sudden shock imposed on the prime mover and the parts that connect the prime mover with the operating member. The load imposed on the prime mover at the instant of reversal of motion of the operating member is not excessive and the operating member is moving on its up stroke before the full load of the liquid column and sucker rods is imposed on the operating member. This is important, especially when an electric motor is used as the prime mover as it insures against burning out of the motor by over-loading the same.

It will also be seen that whatever power has been stored in the springs 17, 18 does useful work for, when the operating member reaches the end of its up stroke, the pump plunger will. be held stationary during the interval of time that the motion of the operating member changes from up to down, thus giving the upper p unger valve time to close before the plunger starts on its down stroke.

If there is any resistance to downward motion of the stem 4, the sprin 17 18 will expand, thus permitting time in which the weight of the sucker rods acts to overcome the inertia of the sucker rods and start the polish rod on the down stroke. This tends to prevent lifting of the stem 4 off of the operating member at the beginning of the down stroke. 7

It is to benoted that, b the arrangement and construction of the exible connections 11, 12, 13 and resilient members 17 '18, the resilient members are never compressed so fully as to tend to give them a rmanent set or to crystallize the metal in t em since, before this can occur, the links 11, 12 will be swung by the imposed load into alinement with the links 13, thus imposing the full load on the links 11, 12 and 13.

It may be desirable, in some instances, that the movement of the links 13 be more restricted than is permitted by the links 11, 12, and for this reason the hole 21 in one of the links 13, preferably, is threaded to engage the threaded end of the associated bolt 20. Thus the 'bolt 20 may be tightened 2. A beam adjuster comprising a stem,

flexible connections, means connecting one end of the flexible connections to the stem, a member pivotally suspended at its middle from the other ends of the flexible connection, reins suspended from the end portions of said member, means for connecting the lower ends of the reins to a polish rod clamp, and compressible means interposed between the flexible connections yieldingly pressin said flexible connections away from eac other.

3. A beam adjuster comprising a stem, a yoke pivotally connected to the stem, upper links pivoted to the yoke, intermediate links pivoted to the upper links, lower links pivoted to the intermediate links, a yoke pivoted to the lower links, means for connecting the last mentioned yoke to a polish rod clamp, and compressible means interposed between the intermediate links yieldingly pressing said intermediate links away from each other.

4. A beam adjuster comprising a stem adapted for connection to an operating member, reins adapted for connection to a polish rod clamp, and means connecting the reins to the stem and yieldingly resisting move ment of the reins and stem away from each other when the reins are subjected to the initial strain on the up stroke of the stem, said means thereafter positively resisting movement of the reins and stem away from each other.

5. A beam adjuster comprising a cross arm, means for pivotally connecting the cross arm to an operating member-and permitting of the cross arm swinging in a vertical plane, and reins suspended from the opposite ends of the cross arm.

.6. A beam adjuster comprising a cross arm provided with end portions of circular cross section, means for pivotally connecting the cross arm to an operating member and permitting of the cross arm swinging in a vertical plane, rein connectors suspended from said end portions, and reins secured to said connectors.

7. A beam adjuster comprising a stem, flexible connections gneans connecting one end of the flexible connections to the stem, resilient means between the flexible connections tending to force said connections away tioned yoke, a cross arm pivotally connected. from each other, a cross arm pivotall conwith the second yoke, the ivots of the cross 10 nected with the other ends of the exible arm and yoke being posltioned at a. right connections, and reins connected with the angle to each other and reins connected 5 opposite ends of said cross arm. with the opposite ends of the cross arm. I

8. A beam adjuster comprisin a stem, a Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 8;

yoke (fivotally connected with t e stem, 1: day of December 1926. secon yoke connected with the first men- JAMES P. RATIGAN.

DISCLAIMER 1,643,588.Ja,mes P. Ratigan, Los Angeles, Calif. BEAM ADJUSTER. Patent dated- September 27, 1927. Disclaimer filed May 26, 1936, by the patentee.

Hereby enters this disclaimer in respect to claims 5 and 6 of the Letters Patent.

[Ofiicial Gazette June 23, 1936.] 

